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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
Ah, the Cubs can't win, even with magic. But they win something more important, perhaps.
Read: Curses (JB) 4*
How the Pooka Came to New York City (DS) 3.5*
The Duke of Riverside (EK) - 3*
Fairy Gifts (PB) - 4.5*
The Bricks of Gelecek (MK) - 3*
The Colliers' Venus (CRK) - 4*
How the Pooka Came to New York City (DS) 3.5*
The Duke of Riverside (EK) - 3*
Fairy Gifts (PB) - 4.5*
The Bricks of Gelecek (MK) - 3*
The Colliers' Venus (CRK) - 4*
Kind of a mixed bag, but a few fun reads!
Standout, great stories were:
The Projected Girl by Lane Tidhar
Underbridge by Peter Beagle
Bricks of Gelecek by Matthew Kressel
Noble Rot by Holly Black
The Skinny Girl by Lucius Shepard
Standout stories for being strange, boring, or not even in the fantasy genre were:
On the Slide by Richard Bowes
Picking Up the Pieces by Pat Cadigan
The Way Station by Nathan Ballingrud
Everything else was also rather solid, but the negatives always really stand out when it comes to a book of short stories.
Standout, great stories were:
The Projected Girl by Lane Tidhar
Underbridge by Peter Beagle
Bricks of Gelecek by Matthew Kressel
Noble Rot by Holly Black
The Skinny Girl by Lucius Shepard
Standout stories for being strange, boring, or not even in the fantasy genre were:
On the Slide by Richard Bowes
Picking Up the Pieces by Pat Cadigan
The Way Station by Nathan Ballingrud
Everything else was also rather solid, but the negatives always really stand out when it comes to a book of short stories.
This was a great collection to have to fill in my time in between books and when I've only got a short amount of time to read. It was nice to be able to pick and choose which particular story I wanted to read at the time. However, like with most anthologies, it's hit or miss when it comes to the works collected within. I found some incredibly engaging and wishing that they were longer, while others I found myself drifting off while reading. I've bolded my favourite stories, but there's a general thought for each story below:
Curses - Jim Butcher
I am aware this is based off a full series of books, but I have never read them. Still very engaging however, and it was fun to read a crime noir story where the detective as to try and work out why the Chicago Cubs were cursed to never win.
How the Pooka Came to New York City - Delia Sherman
I've read a few of Delia Sherman's short stories in other anthologies, and her stories have always been pretty good. Clever use of mythology and well written.
On the Slide - Richard Bowes
The writing was so confusing I got the end and couldn't figure what that story was actually about.
The Duke of Riverside - Ellen Kushner
I loved this! I know this was also based off a full-length series, but it was wonderful to read on its own. Fantasy, combined with a romance between a swordsman and a reluctant heir... brilliant.
Oblivion by Calvin Klein - Christopher Fowler
The over-indulgent shopping descriptions alone are enough to make this story interesting, but I didn't really get the point of it.
Fairy Gifts - Patricia Briggs
I really really liked this one, especially with a Chinese-American protagonist. Definitely something you wouldn't come across a lot. I really liked the fantasy elements of the story, and it was written beautifully.
Picking up the pieces - Pat Cadigan
Two sisters were there when the Berlin Wall fell. The supernatural elements in this story didn't really connect to anything for me, but it was well-written enough.
Underbridge - Peter S. Beagle
Troll under the bridge, a hobo, and a very anxious man. It was written well, but I kind of hatred how disgusting this story was. It wasn't fun to read.
Priced to Sell - Naomi Novik
Real-estate in NYC with magical creatures and their specific needs. Very charming and entertaining. Naomi has very quickly become one of my favourite authors with Uprooted and Spinning Silver, and this short story was fantastic.
The Bricks of Gelecek - Matthew Kressel
In the cities of the desert, a young girl's songs manages to charm Destruction. This one caught me completely by surprise with how much I loved reading it. It was beautifully written, and the imagery was wonderful. Is it an urban fantasy story? Perhaps not. I'd probably call this one more a straight up fantasy, which might be why I loved it.
Weston Walks - Kit Reed
Didn't catch my attention enough for me to remember anything much about it.
The Projected Girl - Lavie Tidhar
A 13 year old boy in Haifa investigates the disappearance of a young woman, and an old magician's journal his only clue as to what happened to her. It was fine, but didn't stick with me that strongly compared to what other people have said.
The Way Station - Nathan Ballingrud
A homeless alcoholic carries around a drowning city in his chest. This story definitely has a Lovecraft feel to it, but it could just be the whole drowned city aesthetic. Beautiful and haunting.
Guns for the Dead - Melissa Marr
Turns out people, even after death, still need guns. Entertaining and fun, and very western.
And Go Like This - John Crowley
Just...??????
Noble Rot - Holly Black
Holly Black was one of the first authors I fell in love with, her Tithe series was fantastic. This short story definitely lives up to the expectation. The twist was great, and the characters are so vivid they seem to leap right off the pages.
Daddy Long Legs of the Evening - Jeffrey Ford
Ugh, really didn't like this one. I didn't like the premise and I didn't like the plot, and it was just not fun to read about a creepy ass giant spider person dressed like Rocky Horror or something.
The Skinny Girl - Lucius Shepard
A widower whose passion is photographing dead people meets the incarnation of death in the form of a woman called The Skinny Girl. Weird.
The Colliers' Venus - Caitlin R Kiernan
Deep in the mineshafts in Colorado, a fossil is dug up. But not just any old fossil. This was very good, properly creepy and definitely not one you'd forget any time soon.
King Pole, Gallows Pole, Bottle Tree / Elizabeth Bear
Las Vegas and a sorcerer who eats memories. It was very well written, but I found myself getting confused a lot during, and there were a lot of words being thrown around that I was not familiar with. Not sure if this is part of a bigger series or not, but it does feel like it. Still very well written.
Curses - Jim Butcher
I am aware this is based off a full series of books, but I have never read them. Still very engaging however, and it was fun to read a crime noir story where the detective as to try and work out why the Chicago Cubs were cursed to never win.
How the Pooka Came to New York City - Delia Sherman
I've read a few of Delia Sherman's short stories in other anthologies, and her stories have always been pretty good. Clever use of mythology and well written.
On the Slide - Richard Bowes
The writing was so confusing I got the end and couldn't figure what that story was actually about.
The Duke of Riverside - Ellen Kushner
I loved this! I know this was also based off a full-length series, but it was wonderful to read on its own. Fantasy, combined with a romance between a swordsman and a reluctant heir... brilliant.
Oblivion by Calvin Klein - Christopher Fowler
The over-indulgent shopping descriptions alone are enough to make this story interesting, but I didn't really get the point of it.
Fairy Gifts - Patricia Briggs
I really really liked this one, especially with a Chinese-American protagonist. Definitely something you wouldn't come across a lot. I really liked the fantasy elements of the story, and it was written beautifully.
Picking up the pieces - Pat Cadigan
Two sisters were there when the Berlin Wall fell. The supernatural elements in this story didn't really connect to anything for me, but it was well-written enough.
Underbridge - Peter S. Beagle
Troll under the bridge, a hobo, and a very anxious man. It was written well, but I kind of hatred how disgusting this story was. It wasn't fun to read.
Priced to Sell - Naomi Novik
Real-estate in NYC with magical creatures and their specific needs. Very charming and entertaining. Naomi has very quickly become one of my favourite authors with Uprooted and Spinning Silver, and this short story was fantastic.
The Bricks of Gelecek - Matthew Kressel
In the cities of the desert, a young girl's songs manages to charm Destruction. This one caught me completely by surprise with how much I loved reading it. It was beautifully written, and the imagery was wonderful. Is it an urban fantasy story? Perhaps not. I'd probably call this one more a straight up fantasy, which might be why I loved it.
Weston Walks - Kit Reed
Didn't catch my attention enough for me to remember anything much about it.
The Projected Girl - Lavie Tidhar
A 13 year old boy in Haifa investigates the disappearance of a young woman, and an old magician's journal his only clue as to what happened to her. It was fine, but didn't stick with me that strongly compared to what other people have said.
The Way Station - Nathan Ballingrud
A homeless alcoholic carries around a drowning city in his chest. This story definitely has a Lovecraft feel to it, but it could just be the whole drowned city aesthetic. Beautiful and haunting.
Guns for the Dead - Melissa Marr
Turns out people, even after death, still need guns. Entertaining and fun, and very western.
And Go Like This - John Crowley
Just...??????
Noble Rot - Holly Black
Holly Black was one of the first authors I fell in love with, her Tithe series was fantastic. This short story definitely lives up to the expectation. The twist was great, and the characters are so vivid they seem to leap right off the pages.
Daddy Long Legs of the Evening - Jeffrey Ford
Ugh, really didn't like this one. I didn't like the premise and I didn't like the plot, and it was just not fun to read about a creepy ass giant spider person dressed like Rocky Horror or something.
The Skinny Girl - Lucius Shepard
A widower whose passion is photographing dead people meets the incarnation of death in the form of a woman called The Skinny Girl. Weird.
The Colliers' Venus - Caitlin R Kiernan
Deep in the mineshafts in Colorado, a fossil is dug up. But not just any old fossil. This was very good, properly creepy and definitely not one you'd forget any time soon.
King Pole, Gallows Pole, Bottle Tree / Elizabeth Bear
Las Vegas and a sorcerer who eats memories. It was very well written, but I found myself getting confused a lot during, and there were a lot of words being thrown around that I was not familiar with. Not sure if this is part of a bigger series or not, but it does feel like it. Still very well written.
I’ll begin by saying I enjoyed almost every story in this collection, however…
Fantasy = magical things, paranormal wonders, and supernatural goodies.
Urban fantasy = a paranormal tale set in a city in our modern world (or some version of it). It can't be a city from hundreds of years ago, that makes it historical fiction. Urban fantasy is here and now.
At least, those are my definitions based on the hundreds of fantasy and urban fantasy novels I have read. That said, Naked City is not an anthology of urban fantasy. First, not all of the stories were set in our present time. Some weren’t in any kind of modern world at all. Second, many of the stories weren’t fantasy. They were fiction (good fiction), but not fantasy. They had zero magic. If a story hasn’t happened, but could happen, it’s just plain ol’ fiction. Many of the stories in this collection could happen. It’s unlikely, but possible. That takes them out of the fantasy realm.
The majority of the stories were fantastic (loads of award winning authors and bestsellers), but I wanted urban fantasy, which is why I bought the book. The description on the back cover even says “paranormal authors… tales of magic…” So not the case.
The collection has some great stories from some top notch authors, but Naked City is seriously mis-advertised. Some tales are fantasy and some are even urban fantasy, but not all. I was disappointed. This collection was not put together well. But in spite of that, it’s a good read. Unfortunately, it gets a low rating for not being what it was labeled and what I paid for.
Fantasy = magical things, paranormal wonders, and supernatural goodies.
Urban fantasy = a paranormal tale set in a city in our modern world (or some version of it). It can't be a city from hundreds of years ago, that makes it historical fiction. Urban fantasy is here and now.
At least, those are my definitions based on the hundreds of fantasy and urban fantasy novels I have read. That said, Naked City is not an anthology of urban fantasy. First, not all of the stories were set in our present time. Some weren’t in any kind of modern world at all. Second, many of the stories weren’t fantasy. They were fiction (good fiction), but not fantasy. They had zero magic. If a story hasn’t happened, but could happen, it’s just plain ol’ fiction. Many of the stories in this collection could happen. It’s unlikely, but possible. That takes them out of the fantasy realm.
The majority of the stories were fantastic (loads of award winning authors and bestsellers), but I wanted urban fantasy, which is why I bought the book. The description on the back cover even says “paranormal authors… tales of magic…” So not the case.
The collection has some great stories from some top notch authors, but Naked City is seriously mis-advertised. Some tales are fantasy and some are even urban fantasy, but not all. I was disappointed. This collection was not put together well. But in spite of that, it’s a good read. Unfortunately, it gets a low rating for not being what it was labeled and what I paid for.
The editor of this anthology suggested the title is from a 1948 movie and that each story deals with a city. I chose this because Jim Butcher and Patricia Briggs had submissions.
I read only three stories and decided I had suffered enough so I stopped before finishing a fourth.
Curses by Jim Butcher-- 2.5 stars
I normall love Jim Butcher stories. The wit written into Harry's character along with the imaginative story lines usually has me engaged. This one did not.
This submission has Harry learning about the Chicago Cubs curse.
How the Pooka Came to New York City by Delia Sherman--1.5 stars
I am unfamiliar with this author. A man travels to America and somehow saves a Pooka. The Pooka is indebted and stays around until the debt is repaid. I don't know what a Pooka is and didn't bother to look it up.
Fairy Gifts by Patricia Briggs--3 stars
A vampire arrives in his hometown, one he hasn't visited in 100 years. He isn't sure why he is there (neither is the reader). The story jumps time frames to give him some background. Finally the reader learns why he went to his hometown.
I read only three stories and decided I had suffered enough so I stopped before finishing a fourth.
Curses by Jim Butcher-- 2.5 stars
I normall love Jim Butcher stories. The wit written into Harry's character along with the imaginative story lines usually has me engaged. This one did not.
This submission has Harry learning about the Chicago Cubs curse.
How the Pooka Came to New York City by Delia Sherman--1.5 stars
I am unfamiliar with this author. A man travels to America and somehow saves a Pooka. The Pooka is indebted and stays around until the debt is repaid. I don't know what a Pooka is and didn't bother to look it up.
Fairy Gifts by Patricia Briggs--3 stars
A vampire arrives in his hometown, one he hasn't visited in 100 years. He isn't sure why he is there (neither is the reader). The story jumps time frames to give him some background. Finally the reader learns why he went to his hometown.
Some good stories in here, but not a re-read for me.
This review is for "Fairy Gifts" by Patricia Briggs and "Curses" by Jim Butcher only. "Fairy Gifts" was great, as all of Briggs' stories are. I loved the additional information into vampire culture into her books, and Tom made a very sympathetic character with which to introduce it with. I especially enjoyed the slight twist ending which I did not see coming at all! "Curses" by Jim Butcher was the first story in the Harry Dresden story that I've tried. It's been suggested to me several times so I thought I'd give it a go. It was funny from the very start, and apart from the talking skull which might take some getting used to I definitely think I'll make the transition to his full-length novels. Overall, this collection was great!
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix